Privacy and security

Turning this off means no app can even ask to follow what you do in other companies' apps and websites, and every app is treated as if you said no.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking

Location Services is the master list of every app that can use your position, and the level of access each one has.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services

Face ID uses the TrueDepth camera to build a mathematical model of your face, stored only on the device, and uses it to unlock and authorise.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode

Your passcode is the root of iPhone security: it encrypts your data, and Face ID or Touch ID are conveniences layered on top of it.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Change Passcode

When your iPhone is somewhere unfamiliar, the most damaging actions require Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback, and some require an hour's delay as well.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection

Touch ID reads your fingerprint and stores a mathematical representation in the Secure Enclave, never as an image and never off the device.

Settings > Touch ID & Passcode

This list shows every app allowed to use the microphone, and an orange dot appears whenever one is listening.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone

A single list shows every app that has asked for the camera and lets you revoke access from any of them.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera

Your iPhone uses the TrueDepth camera to check whether you are looking at the screen, and uses that to lower alert volume, keep the screen awake and reveal notifications.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Attention Aware Features

An app can be given access to your whole photo library, only to photos you pick, or to nothing at all.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos

A list of switches decides what is reachable from a locked iPhone, including Control Centre, the notification centre, Siri, the wallet and reply from notifications.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Allow Access When Locked

Turning Precise Location off for an app gives it an approximate area instead of your exact position.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > App name > Precise Location

Safety Check reviews who can see your location and data, and can stop all sharing with everyone immediately.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check

After ten failed passcode attempts the iPhone erases itself, making brute force guessing pointless.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Erase Data

This controls whether Apple uses what it knows about you to target ads in the App Store, Apple News and Stocks.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising > Personalized Ads

This sets the grace period after the screen locks before the passcode is needed again.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Require Passcode

An hour after the phone locks, the wired port stops carrying data to accessories until you unlock the phone again.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > USB Accessories

Apps need permission to use Bluetooth, because nearby device signals can be used to work out where you are without using location.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth

Lockdown Mode disables many convenience features that attackers exploit, and is meant for the small number of people facing targeted mercenary spyware.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode

Fitness Tracking controls whether the iPhone counts steps at all, and a list below shows which apps can read that data.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Motion & Fitness

Images and video that may contain nudity are blurred before display, with the detection running entirely on your iPhone.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Sensitive Content Warning

This decides whether diagnostic and usage data from your iPhone is shared with Apple, and whether it is passed on to app developers.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements

Apps must ask before scanning the network you are connected to, because the list of devices in your home says a lot about you.

Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network